Dimpling and riveting device



y 6, 1943- 7/ R. H. LAMB ET AL 2,323,814

DIMPLING AND RIVETING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 70%6/2 fi X mi,

y 9 3 R. H. LAMB ET AL 2,323,814

DIMPLING AND RIVETING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented July 6, 194

UNHTE STTES ATENT ()FFICE DlMiPLENG AND RIVETING DEViCE Appiieaticn July 18, IML'Serial No. 4%,040

11 Claims.

Our invention relates to dimpling and riveting devices and particularly to a device for dimpling thin elements with rivets disposed in holes thereof which are thereafter swaged on the protruding end.

Various devices and methods have been employed for dimpling the elements which are to be secured together, so that the rivet heads are flush with the surface of the outer element when the rivet ends are swaged. Compressed air riveting guns are sometimes employed in the usual manner for upsetting the rivet ends, while the head is secured by a manually supported bucking bar.

In practicing the present invention, we provide a device wherein the under sides of the rivet heads are utilized for dimpling the sheet material about the apertures through which the rivet extends. The dimpled recess will be of such form as to support the rivet heads flush with the outer surfaces of the outer element. Thereafter, the same device swages the protruding ends of the rivets a predetermined desired amount. The device is so constructed as to dimple the material and swage the rivets in a plurality of holes simultaneously. The device is employed in a press on the under side of the upper plate of which a block is mounted in which a removable upper anvil is supported. Similarly, on the bed plate a mounting is provided in which a removable lower anvil containing dimpling and riveting blocks is supported. Both the upper and lower anvils are removably mounted so that they may be interchanged to conform to the different rivet spacings of the elements. This is necessary as a series of rivets dimple the elements simultaneously, which rivets are thereafter swaged simultaneously.

Since different rows of rivets vary in spacing, the anvils must be interchanged to conform with the spacing of the rivets in the row to be dimpled and swaged. The upper anvil has a plane lower surface while the lower anvil has floating dimpling dies disposed between riveting faces. Only a slight shifting of the elements is necessary to move the plurality of rivets from the dimpling dies to the riveting surfaces. Means is provided to gauge the amount of shift required.

A tripping mechanism is provided having bars which resiliently support the elements as the anvils move together and for reversing the movement of the anvils at the end of the dimpling'and swaging operations. In this manner, the degree of dimpling and the necessary amount of swaging is assured each time the device is manipulated.

In operating the device, the two elements are brought together with the holes of standard spacing in aligned relation and through which rivets are stuck. The plate is moved over the lower anvil with the projecting end of the rivet extending into the apertures in the dimpling dies. The anvils are then moved together and the heads of the rivets are forced into the elements, the material of which moves into a chamfered end on the dimpling dies with the rivet heads flush with the top surface of the sheet. The bars of the tripping mechanism have then moved a sufficient 'amoimt to operate the control mechanism to reverse the movement of the plates and anvils to have the anvils separate from each other. Thereafter, the elements are shifted to move the rivets over the riveting faces, and the anvils are again moved together until the bars are shifted a sufficient amount to reverse the movement of the anvils which are separated after swaging the rivets a sufficient degree.

Accordingly, the main objects of our invention are to provide a pair of anvils which serially perform the dimpling and riveting operations on a plurality of rivets; to provide a top anvil for a press having'a plane under face and a bottom anvil which has spaced plane riveting faces between which floating dimpling dies are mounted, to dimple and rivet a pair of elements by'sticking a plurality of rivets in equally spaced holes along a straight line, inserting the ends of the rivets in dimpling dies, and dimpling the material under the heads of the rivets in a pressing operation, and thereafter shifting the elements and rivets to the adjacent swaging faces on which the' rivets are swaged in a further operation of the press; to provide a tripping mechanism supporting the elements and for reversing the 'press'when parallel bars, which support the elements to be riveted or dimpled, have been moved a predetermined amount to thereby complete the operation, and in general to provide a method and device for dimpling and swaging rivets in sheet material which is simple in construction, positive in operation, and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of our invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referrin for a better understanding of our invention to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a'view in elevation .of a dimpling and riveting device embodying features of our invention when performing a dimpling operation;

Fig. 2 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, while performing a riveting operation;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 4-4 thereof; and

Fig, 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 5--5 thereof.

Referring to the figures, we have illustrated a top plate Ill and a base plate II of a press of any suitable form, in which each or both of the plates are moved toward and away from each other in the conventional manner. An anvil supporting block I2 is attached to the top plate I0, having an anvil I3 removably secured in a slot I4 by screws I5. The base plate II has an anvil supporting block I6 secured thereto having a slot I! in which an anvil I8 is movably mounted by set screws I5.

The anvil I8 is provided with a plurality of slots I9 for receiving the heads 2I of dimpling dies 22. A bar 24 contains a plurality of apertures 25 through which the bodies of the dimpling dies 22 extend. The front surface of the bars and the riveting anvil may be cut away at 2", as illustrated more specifically in Figs. 4 and 5, for receiving the cylindrical end 21 of the workpiece. The top faces of the dimpling dies 22 contain an aperture 28 which receives the rivet ends. The top portion of the dies adjacent to the aperture is chamfered at 29 to conform to the slope of the under side of the rivet heads. The dimpling dies are permitted to shift at least one sixty-fourth of an inch on either side of their center line so as to compensate for any misalignment of a plurality of rivets which extend through the apertures in the elements to be riveted together.

Any number of the dimpling dies and adjacent riveting surfaces 29 therebetween may be employed in the anvil I8. In the figure we have illustrated eight dimpling dies disposed adjacent to eight riveting faces 29 which are provided therebetween. A gauge pin 3| is mounted on the right hand end of the anvil I2 with which a rivet is aligned to gauge the position of the rivets on the riveting faces 29 when the riveting operation is to be performed.

A pair of pins 32 project upwardly from a bar 33 disposed in a slot in the anvil supporting block I6 for vertical movement thereto. A pin 34 projects through the base II and is attached to the bar 33. A spring 35 urges the bar 33 and pins 32 and 34 upwardly. A micro switch 36 has the operating button 31 aligned with the pin 34, which produces the operation of the switch when the pins 32 are moved downwardly a predetermined amount. The amount of movement may be adjusted to have the dimpling and swaging operations completed when the switch 36 is operated.

A pair of parallel bars 39 are mounted on the top of the pins 32 to support a rib 38 and a sheet 39 which are to be riveted together. Springs 42 resiliently support the bar and force the rib and sheet against the bottom face of the anvil I3. The springs are disposed in telescoping tubes 44 and 45 to retain them in position, while ears 46 on the tubes 44 project through slots 41 in the tubes 45 to limit the upward movement of the bars. The bars support the elements to be riveted in proper position against the under face of the anvil I3.

The rib 38 and sheet 39 are first drilled to have apertures spaced a predetermined distance apart for receiving the rivets 3I. The extending portions of the rivet are aligned with and moved into the apertures 28 of the dimpling dies, after which the plates of the press relatively move toward each other to force the rivet heads into flush relation with the top surface of the sheet 39, forcing the material under the rivet heads into the chamfered portion 29 of the dimpling dies. Thereafter, the plates I0 of the press are separated to separate the anvils, after which the rib 38 and sheet 39 are moved laterally to the left, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, to move the rivets in alignment with the riveting faces 29. The righthand rivet 43 is aligned with the gauge pin 3|, which thereby centers the rivets 4| on the center line of the riveting faces. The plates are again relatively moved together to relatively move the anvils into contact with the rivets which swages the rivet ends.

The termination of the dimpling and the swaging operations is controlled by the fingers 32 which are moved relative to the switch 36 which is operated to reverse the relative movement between the plates Iil and II for separating the anvils. This completes the dimpling and riveting operation on the eight rivets and it is only necessary to shift the rib 38 and sheet 39 to the left to have the next eight rivets aligned with the apertures 28 of the eight dimpling dies. It is to be understood that when a greater number of rivets are to be dimpled and thereafter swaged. that longer anvils I2 and I6 may be employed containing a greater munber of the dimpling dies 22 and swaging faces 29.

When it is desired to operate on a row of rivets having different spacings from those herein illustrated, the set screws I5 are loosened and the two anvils are removed from the press and a pair of similar anvils having dimpling dies and swaging faces disposed on centers conforming to the spacing of the rivets in the row and then attached to the blocks I3 and I6.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated the metal of the rib 38 and the sheet 39 dimpled under the heads of the rivets M at the end of the dimpling operation. If any of the holes drilled in the sheet 39 and rib 38 are slightly out of alignment, the dimpling dies 22 are shifted to compensate for such misalignment as the rivets are inserted in the apertures thereof.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated the rivets 4I after the dimpling operation and after the ends of the rivets were swaged on the riveting face 29. The swaging of the rivet is accurately controlled by the pins 32 which operate the switch 36 to reverse the flow of fluid and relative movement of the plates III and II for separating the anvils. In this manner, the movement of the anvils toward each other is accurately controlled so that like dimples and like swaged heads will always be formed by the device.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for dimpling metal comprising a first anvil for engaging the heads of rivets, a second anvil having a plurality of transversely shiftable dimpling dies with apertures in the ends for receiving the rivet heads, the top end of the aperture being chamfered to conform to the slope of the under head of the rivets, and means for relatively moving the anvils toward each other after the rivets have been inserted in holes in the workpiece and into the apertures in the dimpling dies,

2. A device for dimpling metal comprising a first anvil for engaging the heads of rivets, a second anvil having a plurality of transversely shift able dimpling dies with apertures in the ends for receiving the rivet heads, the top end of the aperture being chamfered to conform to th slope of the under head of the rivets, means for relatively moving the anvil toward each other after the rivets have been inserted in holes in the workpiece and into the aperture in the dimpling dies, and means for reversing the relative movement between the dies when the dimpling operation is completed.

3. A device for dimpling metal comprising a first anvil for engaging the heads of rivets, a second anvil having a plurality of transversely shiftable dimpling dies with apertures in the ends for receiving the rivet ends, the top end of'the aperture being chamfered to conform to the slope of the under head of the rivets, mean for relatively moving the anvils toward each other after the rivets have been inserted in holes in the workpiece and into the apertures in the dimpling dies, and a resilient means for supporting the workpiece relative to said first anvil.

4. A device for dimpling and riveting including a first anvil having a plane under face, a second anvil aligned with said first anvil having a plurality of transversely shiftable dimpling dies therein providing riveting face in the anvil parts disposed therebetween, and means for relatively moving said anvils toward each other after rivets have been disposed in the workpiece with their ends disposed in the dimpling dies to first dimple the material as the rivet heads are forced therein, after which the anvils are separated, the rivets shifted to be aligned with the swaging anvils and the anvils relatively moved to perform the swaging operation.

5. A die for performing a dimpling and swaging operation including a first anvil, a second anvil aligned therewith provided with a plurality of self-adjusting dimpling dies, means for advancing said anvils toward each other to first perform the dimpling operation. and thereafter to swage the rivets on the anvil portions adjacent thereto.

6. A die for performing a dimpling and swaging operation including a first anvil, a second anvil aligned therewith provided with a plurality of self-adjusting dimpling dies, means for advancing said anvils toward each other to first perform the dimpling operation and thereafter to swage the rivets on the anvil portions adjacent thereto, and resilient supporting means on each side of said rivets for supporting the workpiece normal to the direction of relative movement between said anvils.

7. A die for performing a dimpling and swaging operation including a first anvil, a second anvil aligned therewith provided with a plurality of self-adjusting dimpling dies, means for ad- Cir vancing said anvils toward each other to first perform the dimpling operation and thereafter to swage the rivets on the anvil portions adjacent thereto, resilient supporting means on each side of said rivets for supporting the workpiece normal to the direction of relative movement between said anvils, and means for reversing the direction of movement of the anvils after the supporting elements have been deflected a predetermined amount which determines the completion of both the dimpling and the swaging operations.

8. An anvil for performing dimpling and swaging operations including a bar having spaced riveting faces, a plurality of dimpling dies dis posed in said spaces to be transversely shiftable therein, said dimpling dies having chamfered apertures in the ends thereof conforming to the shape of a rivet to be swaged.

9. An anvil for performing dimpling and swaging operations including a bar having spaced riveting faces, a plurality of dimpling dies disposed in said spaces to be transversely shiftable therein, said dimpling dies having chamfered apertures in the ends thereof conforming to the shape of a rivet to be swaged, and a second anvil in the nature of a bucking bar for engaging the heads of the rivets, resiliently mounted means for supporting the workpiece containing the rivets to be swaged, and means for operating said anvils toward each other.

10. An anvil for performing dimpling and swaging operations including a bar having spaced riveting faces, a plurality of dimpling dies disposed in said spaces to be transversely shiftable therein, said dimpling dies having chamfered apertures in the ends thereof conforming to the shape of a rivet to be swaged, a second anvil in the nature of a bucking bar for engaging the heads of the rivets, resiliently mounted means for supporting the workpiece containing therivets to be swaged, means for operating said anvils toward each other, and means actuated by the deflection of said supporting means for reversing the direction of relative movement between said anvils.

11. An anvil for performing dimples and swaging operations including a bar having spaced riveting faces, a plurality of dimpling dies disposed'in said spaces and transversely shiftable relative to the center lines thereof, said dimpling dies having chamfered apertures in the ends thereof conforming to the shape of a rivet to be swaged, a second anvil in the nature of a bucking bar for engaging the heads of the rivets, resiliently mounted means for supporting the workpiece containing the rivets to be swaged, means for operating said anvils toward each other, and means for gauging the position of the rivets relative to the riveting faces.

ROBERT H. LAMB. RICHARD H. BAKER. 

